


how the mighty fall (in love)

by PuriPuki



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Modern AU, gerome and inigo are the mains, the others are only really mentioned once or twice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-26
Updated: 2015-06-26
Packaged: 2018-04-06 07:04:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4212444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PuriPuki/pseuds/PuriPuki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>key moments in Gerome and Inigo's relationship, from meeting at the park on the corner of Grove and Seventh to a planned proposal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	how the mighty fall (in love)

I

Gerome is five years old and incredibly shy when he meets Inigo. His mother is friends with Inigo’s mother, it seems, but Inigo’s father seems to agitate his. They’re at the park, and Inigo is dragging him to the swings, one of the few things he likes at this particular park.  
“Let’s use this one, we can swing together!” Inigo declares, pointing to the double ended swing. He looks back at his mother, unsure, but she smiles at him and he decides to go along with Inigo.  
  
They don’t swing for very long before someone else arrives. She introduces herself as Cynthia, and decides to swing next to them. She’s loud and bubbly, and her father seems to know both of his parents. Inigo seems shyer now, but that doesn’t quite matter, as long as she doesn’t kick up sand when she swings, Gerome is content. He decides, as he and Inigo continue swinging, that he likes him and hopes that Inigo is going to the same kindergarten as him.

II

Gerome is ten years old and still shy when he holds Inigo’s hand for the first time. His mother and Inigo’s have brought them to a local carnival, and have allowed them to walk ahead of them.  
“Hey, do you wanna go ride that one?” Inigo asks him, and he points to what has to be the largest pirate ship Gerome has ever seen. When Gerome nods (he’s always been one for heights, his mother has remarked several times before), Inigo yells back to his mother, “We’re gonna go ride that one!”, and grabs Gerome’s hand before he starts running.  
  
Inigo’s mother yells after them, but by the time that both Olivia and his mother reach them, they’re already seated and in the air. He doesn’t notice until he wants to lift his arms up that Inigo hasn’t let go of his hand, but he doesn’t mind. Inigo raises the one hand and keeps the other on the safety bar in front of them, with what looks to be a tight grip.  
  
They decide to go on a second time, and have convinced their mothers to join them. Olivia, like Inigo, pointedly does not like this ride and yet his mother is just as ecstatic as he is to be in the air.  
  
He’s still holding hands with Inigo when they get off the ride.

III

Gerome is 14 years old and a little less shy when he sees Inigo dance for the first time. He’s over Inigo’s house for the afternoon, to help him with homework and he’s lucky that he’s caught this moment. He’s early, and his mother has given him permission to look around for Inigo, unaware of which room he was in.  
Inigo, apparently, did ballet. There was a small room in the back of his house, with one wall of mirrors and a wooden bar going the length of said wall. He watches from the doorway as Inigo spins, dancing on the tips of his toes. He’s mesmerized for a moment, or maybe three, and doesn’t realize Inigo’s seen him watching until he sputters and turns red.  
  
There isn’t any awkwardness about it, it’s just a hobby, Inigo tells him. Nothing else happens, they do homework together and things are normal. There’s something off in the weeks that follow, and nobody's quite sure what it is. Inigo doesn't let Gerome watch him dance, and Gerome doesn’t mind it.  
  
But, God strike him down where he stands if he can’t forget how happy he looked dancing.

IV

Gerome is 15 years old and has come to the wonderfully terrifying realization that he is hopelessly in love with his best friend. It’s out of the blue, and it, unfortunately, happened in the middle of a dance. Inigo had invited him, and god, the look of bliss on his face and the dances he performed- it’s like a knee jerk reaction, the realization comes along with an assortment of other moments, with the same warmth filling his core.  
  
This had been a long-time coming sort of thing, hadn’t it?

V

Gerome is 16 years old and suddenly closing into himself when he cries in front of Inigo for the first time. God, Inigo is just one person, would it truly matter if he lost just one person? He can’t stop the fat tears from rolling down his cheeks and Inigo is fretting above him, trying to wipe the tears away and it’s only making Gerome curl into himself more.  
  
“Come on, you can tell me what’s wrong, yeah? We’re best friends.” Inigo looks concerned and it’s killing Gerome from the inside out, he can’t have this and he knows it. He can’t bring himself to spit it out, he can’t bring himself to destroy his one amazing friendship. “Please, won’t you tell me?” This is so unlike him, and he’s unable to help himself, he’s so far gone.  
  
“...I’m gay.” He’s gone and done it again, he’s convinced. He’s just thrown away nearly eleven years of friendship.  
  
“Oh.” Inigo is silent for a moment, but the worry seems to have dissipated. “Thank you for telling me, it must be hard, yeah?” He doesn’t say anything, but this certainly wasn’t what he was expecting.  
  
“Listen, I know it must’ve taken a lot of guts and a lot of trust to tell me, and I’m glad that you did. I’m not gonna do whatever you thought I was gonna do. You’re still my best friend.” One less person to lose. “I’m actually bi as hell, so I know where you’re coming from.”  
  
  
Oh, god, Gerome is so gone on this boy.

VI

Gerome is 18 years old and has decided to be uncharacteristically bold when he kisses Inigo for the first time. It’s senior prom and it’s enough for him that Inigo - the boy he’s been gone on since he was 14. For most of the dance, he’s been tucked away in the corner with a few others, who he’s comfortable with, almost content. But then it’s a slow song and Inigo asks him to dance, and god, why would he say no?  
  
“I did a recital to this song when I was nine, you know.” Inigo says, and Gerome stifles a laugh. Sometimes he forgets that Inigo still dances, that he has been since the age of six. “Sorry, that was dumb. You seemed a bit nervous, so I figured it would… help?”  
  
“...I really do love you, even if you are a nerd.”  
  
“Oh, of course you do! That’s one of my more charming qualities.”  
The song is nearing its end, and Gerome leans forward ever so slightly, and… Cynthia comes running in between them, going headlong for Owain and Morgan, who were chatting across the gymnasium.  
  
“Well, that was unexpected.”  
  
“Most things are for us, I’ve noticed.” And Gerome leaned in and downwards, and made the night wonderful.

VII

Gerome is 19 and more terrified than he had been when he came out to Inigo. It was three thirty in the morning, and he woke to a frantic call from Inigo, his words slurred by tears. His mother and father had been in an accident, coming home late from a late night out on the town. Gerome ran to the hospital, keeping Inigo on the phone as he went. Inigo relayed what he knew, through the tears and sniffles.  
  
They were on their way home, his father, Henry, was driving and his mother was in the passenger seat. They were at a quiet intersection near the hospital they were admitted to when a drunk driver hit the passenger side head on. Both Olivia and Henry were in critical condition, and his mother was still in surgery, she had broken her right arm on impact. His father was out of surgery, but the nurses were worried he wouldn’t last until the sun broke.  
  
Inigo was shivering when Gerome arrived in the ER, fat tears rolling down his cheeks. No words were said, but they sat next to each other till morning, Gerome’s hands rubbing soothing patterns into Inigo’s back as he slowly fell asleep.  
  
Despite the odds, the heart monitors’ call rang into the late hours of the morning.

VIII

Gerome is 21 now, and the sun is starting to peek through the curtains of his bedroom window. It’s not even seven yet, it’s Sunday morning, and there’s a body curled into his. Skin on skin, Inigo has backed himself into Gerome’s chest, his head nestled underneath Gerome’s chin and his hair tickling his nose. The white sheets still smell like sex, but god, this is probably the most content he’s ever been in his life. He can’t fall back asleep once he’s up, so he spends his time tracing constellations between the freckles on Inigo’s arms, chest, and cheek, smiling softly at the content sighs Inigo made as he went.  
  
Gerome wouldn’t horribly mind staying here for a while.

 

IX

Gerome is 25 years old now, and he’s nervous. Not as nervous as he was when Inigo’s parents were close to death (both survived, his father ever so narrowly), or when he had came out- this was different from then. He was nervous for no reason, and his mother had assured him so.  
“He’ll say yes, trust me, little dove.” His mother and father had ruffled his hair, each in turn, and Gerome noticed the beginning of a gray hair in his mother’s brightly dyed hair. There are laughter lines when his father smiles, and how has it taken him so long to notice his parents were aging? His father smiles at him when he parts with a nervous look, and Gerome tries to convince himself again, his parents are right and Inigo will say yes.  
  
But when it comes time when he planned, he can’t even think to rip Inigo’s view away from the sea, not when his eyes are shining like they are and his mouth is turned into one of the most beautiful smile he’s ever seen. The box stays heavy in his pocket, the pearl cluster on silver hidden away. He’ll wait a while longer, he decides. Perhaps tomorrow morning, in their early morning stasis? Next week, on their anniversary? Maybe in a few weeks time, on Inigo’s birthday?  
  
  
There’s no need to rush when you’re this in love, is there?


End file.
